Case of detonating fog-signals for railways.



No. 868,201. PATENTED OGT. 15,1907.

F. A. LUDLOW.

CASE OF DETONATING FOG SIGNALS FOR RAILWAYS. Arfmcumu FILED MAR. 27,1907 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.-

Specification of Letters Patent.

CASE OF DETONATING FOG-SIGNALS FOR RAILWAYS.

Patented Oct. 15, 1907.

Application filed March 27, 1907. Serial No. 364,931

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FREDERICK ARCHER LUDLow, a subject of His Majestythe King of Great Britain and Ireland, residing at Birmingham, England,fog-signal manufacturer, have invented new and useful Improvements inthe Cases of Detonating Fog-Signals for Railways, of which the followingis a specification.

This invention has reference to the cases of detonat ing fog signalssometimes called torpedoes for railways and consists of the improvementsherein described to enable the manufacture of the cases to be finishedand the cases shipped empty, that is without the gunpowder or otherexplosive material which owing to my peculiar construction of the casescan be inserted therein at their destination thus preventing any possibility of the fog signals explodingin transit. My invention also enablesthe contents of the fog signal cases when closed to be clearly seenwithout opening the case.

According to this invention the detonating case, which is of the usualflattened circular form, is made with an opening in the top or in thebottom of considerably smaller diameter than the outside of the case andthis opening is fitted with aremovable lid or cover adapted to fittightly in the opening and made with an outwardly projecting flangewhich joints on to the top or on to the bottom of the case, so that bythe detonating case being made with this removable cover these parts ofthe case can be finished and packed and shipped separately from theexplosive substance which at the destination can be inserted in the caseand there retained by merely pushing the cover into position to closethe opening in the case. The lid or cover is by preference, although notnecessarily, made transparent so that without opening the case it ispossible to ascertain whether or not the interior of the fog signal iscomplete in all its parts and in perfect condition so as to be explodedby the engine or train passing over it, as it sometimes happens that themaker has accidentally omitted to place caps on the anvils (for thosefog signals which are filled with gunpowder) or has omitted thegunpowder or other explosive material, or from some defect in thedetonator case the gunpowder or other explosive material containedtherein has get wet or deteriorated in some way so that it will notexplode.

My invention is illustrated by the accompanying drawings on whichFigin'e 1 is a sectional side elevation of a detonating railway fogsignal constructed in accordance with this invention but the gunpowderor other explosive substance is omitted therefrom; Fig. 2 is a plan ofthe same; Fig. 3 is a sectional side elevation and Fig. 4 is a plan ofthe lid part of the said fog signal; Fig. 5 is a sectional elevation andFig. 6 is a plan of a modified form of the said lid; Fig. 7 is asectional side elevation of a modified form of a detonating railway fogsignal the explosive material omitted and Fig. 8 is an inverted plan ofthe same.

The same reference letters indicate the same or corresponding parts inall the figures.

Referring first more particularly to the arrangement shown by Figs. 1 to6 both inclusive a is the stamped sheet metal top part of the detonatorcase which is made of the usual flattened dome shape and b is the usualbottom plate of the case the periphery c of which is closed on to andaround the periphery of the top part a. In the top part a and bypreference in the center of the same I provide an opening (Z which is bypreference of circular form and of considerably smaller diameter thanthe case and-this is fitted with and closed by a removadapted to fittightly in the hole 01 and also with an outwardly projecting flange fwhich bears upon the top of the dome shape part a, and thus properlyclosing the hole (1. The cover can readily be removed by first insertingthe thumb nail or a knife or other instrument under the flange f andthen the gunpowder or other explosive substance can be placed in theinterior of the case through the hole d which can then be closed by thecover. When the cover is formed of transparent ,substance so as to showthe interior of the detonating fog signal as aforesaid the transparentsubstance which I prefer to use is a disk 9 of celluloid which is bypreference dished as shown so as not to be scratched or pressed bycontact with the next detonator case when several of them are packedtogether for storage or transit. This celluloid disk 9 is made ofsomewhat larger diameter than the hole d and is mounted in a raised ringlike mount or bezel as shown in Figs. 1, 2, 3 and 4 this bezel beingformed with the cylindrical part c which fits in the hole d and alsowith a flange f the rim of which is closed around and upon the peripheryof the celluloid diskg thereby effectually securing the same to thebezel. Instead of the removable cover for closing the hole d being madetransparent as aforesaid, the said cover may, as shown in Figs. 5 and 6,be made solid and opaque but provided with the cylindrical part e to fitin the hole (1 as aforesaid, and also with the outwardly projectingflange f to bear upon the top of the dome part a. In Figs. 1 and 2 Ihave shown the usual three anvils 72 'i and jfixed on the base b andeach provided with the usual cap 70 which is the ordinary constructionwhen the case is intended to be filled with gunpowder but it will beunderstood that where the case is filled with an explosive substancewhich will explode when struckgwith 1 a sufiicient blow then the anvilsand caps are not required as is well understood. Z, m, are the two sheetlead clips which clip the detonator case to the rail. The arrangement ofmy invention shown by Figs. 1 and constructed in accordance with thisinvention but with able cover which is made with a cylindrical part e 2with the hole 01 in the top of the caseis hat I prefet, but if desiredthe hole d may, as in Figs, 7 and 8, be made in the bottom I; of thecase and be similarly closed by a removable cover as above describedwith reference to Figs. 1 and 2 where the hole 0? is made in the top ofthe case.

What I claim as my invention and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A sheet metal detonator case for railway fog signals with a flangewhich bears upon said case, substantially as set forth.

4. In a detonating railway fog signal case the combination of aflattened dome shape top part made with a filling hole, a bottom disklike part fixed thereto by the periphery of the one being closed overthe periphery of the other, and a removable cover fitted in said fillinghole said cover being formed of a disk of transparent substance mountedin a bezel which fits in the hole in the case and is provided with aflange to fit on to said case, substantially as set forth.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in thepresence of two subscribing witnesses.

FREDERICK ARCHER LUDLOW.

Witnesses CHARLES BOSWORTII Ku'rnriy, THOMAS JOHN Rowe.

